Our health care needs are changing. The days of our old stalwart - the General Practitioner - are fading as they age and morph into the era of " Superclinics ".
Now a new source of medical knowledge is emerging. The " Nurse Practitioner " is already taking some of the load in these " Superclinics " and in rural areas - where GP's are scarcer than hen's teeth - they have been given the authority to order scans and blood tests - and to write prescriptions.
Now Nurse Practitioners are being added to the staff of pharmacies in areas where there is a shortage of GP's. It is hoped that this source of medical help will take pressure off hospital emergency departments and result in the better treatment of minor ailments such as colds and flu.
As usual, the medical fraternity is screaming blue murder. The AMA describes the move as " a threat to public health " and insists that all medical advice should be in the hands of a qualified doctor.
It is called " turf protection ". Doctors hold a position of privilege and they will fight tooth and nail to protect their realm - and their high incomes.
Really, all that has changed is an upgrading of what is already happening in pharmacies.
Chemists - and their staff - are a cluey lot. They may not hold a medical degree, but they know the symptoms of common ailments - and they know the medications that alleviate them. What we are now getting is a trained medical person in the form of a Nurse Practitioner who can carry that diagnosis one step further - and who has the know how to send a person to a doctor or a hospital when necessary.
Perhaps the biggest advantage is availability. Many people hesitate to see a doctor because of cost or the time involved. They are much more likely to have a chat to a nurse practitioner in a pharmacy - hence the number on untreated ailments should drop.
This seems to be a logical step in the provision of medical services to our ever expanding urban population.
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